Grey sky snow view, looking west from the B6114 road bridge over the motorway at Scammonden, west of Huddersfield, showing the M62, in its crossing of the South Pennines in February 1979, closed by the industrial action of public sector employees (here a lack of gritting) in the Winter of Discontent of 1978-79
The Winter of Discontent refers to the winter of 1978-79, when public sector trade unions, such as the former NUPE (National Union of Public Employees), undertook industrial action in response to James Callaghan's Labour Government's imposition that public sector pay rises be kept below 5 per cent to control inflation. The industrial action involved public sector workers ranging from school caretakers to those gritting the roads. The industrial action coincided with the coldest winter for sixteen years. Here we see the M62, in its South Pennines section, closed by industrial action (a lack of gritting), in February 1979. The view, looking west, is from the B6114 Saddleworth Road bridge over the motorway at Scammonden, west of Huddersfield. A sign showing a 20 mph speed limit is visible. Vehicles, approaching from the east, had to leave the motorway east of Leeds, causing chaos on local roads.
Size: 1622px × 1081px
Location: M62, from B6114 road bridge, looking west, Scammonden, west of Huddersfield, South Pennines, UK
Photo credit: © robert harrison / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 1979, action, closed, cutting, discontent, employees, february, frozen, grey, hills, industrial, landscape, m62, motorway, pennines, public, road, scammonden, sector, sky, snow, south, trade, uk, unions, view, west, winter, workers, yorkshire
